Kenmore 80 Series Dryer Review

Kenmore 80 series dryer is a reliable and durable product which makes it one of the most sought-after dryers. Kenmore products are designed to reduce odors and cut down the need for ironing which makes your clothes ready to wear, 20 minutes after heating.

Heating issues are the most obvious problem with all types of dryers, the function of your dryer is to produce heat that removes moisture from your clothes. When your Kenmore 80 series dryer gets faulty it stops providing heat that would be enough to dry your cloth. There are other faults that your dyer may develop.

All Kenmore dryers have a heating element, control panel, dryer drum, and door. The heating element consists of the thermostat, heating coil, and thermal fuse. You can purchase or order parts for your Kenmore 80 series dryer from stores like Sears, Kmart, Amazon, eBay, etc. But to order parts you need to know your appliance model or part number which you can find in your user manual.

Here in this article, we would briefly discuss how to fix issues that your Kenmore 80 series dryer may develop. If you have the Kenmore 80 series dryer click this link.

Kenmore 80 Series Dryer

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The Kenmore 80 series dryer has both the electric type and the gas type. The electric Kenmore 80 series has a power cable that plugs into a power outlet. While the gas Kenmore 80 series has a hose or pipe that connects to a gas supply.

Kenmore 80 Series Dryer Belt

The dryer belt often gets worn out after being used for about 8 – 10 years When the belts wear out the drive motor run but the dryer drum would fail to spin. You should replace a worn-out dryer belt but you will need to get the right tool to get this done.

To replace a worn-out Kenmore 80 Series Dryer Belt follow the steps below:

Unplug the power cord and switch off the power breaker.
Use a screwdriver to unthread the screws, then remove the top panel of your dryer. It might require you to remove the control panel of your dryer.
Remove the front panel of your dryer. You may need to disconnect the door switch wires to remove the front panel.
Uninstall the bulkhead by removing the braces and disconnecting the sensor wires.
Now reach under the drum and reduce the idler pulley to release the tension of the old belt, then remove the belt from the idler pulley and motor drive pulley.
Remove the old belt by Sliding it over the front of the drum. (Ensure you carefully examine how the old belt was placed before proceeding).
Now slide the new belt over the drum.
Connect the belt on the idler pulley and drive the pulley to form a zig zag.
Rotate the drum by hand to see if the new belt is well aligned.
Reinstall the front bulkhead on the cabinet frame and make sure the drum is well positioned on the bulkhead.
Reconnect any sensor wires and replace any braces or supports to secure the bulkhead.
Reinstall the front panel, and ensure you reconnect the door switch wire connecter.
Reinstall the top panel and control panel.
Properly reassemble the dryer, and plug the power cord into a power source.

Kenmore 80 Series Dryer Not Heating

If the air in your dryer is not heating it can be from either a faulty burner assembly or heating element. The gas dryer uses a burner assembly while an electric dryer uses a heating element. Other general causes include a damaged timer or electronic control board, bad gas valve coils failed igniter or a faulty flame sensor. Also, a tripped circuit breaker or unplugged power cord can prevent the electric dryer from heating.

Burner Assembly

The burner assembly consists of three parts thermal fuse, flame sensor, and igniter. Make sure you observe the operation of the burner assembly, to help you detect the issue with the burner assembly of your Kenmore 80 series dryer.

Remove the access panel at the bottom front of your gas dryer.
Select a high-temperature setting to start the dryer.
Now carefully inspect the burner assembly you should hear a click sound of the gas valve coil and should start glowing
A blue flame should appear and it should remain on for a few minutes.
If the igniter glows for about 15 seconds and then goes off, then there is an issue with the coil.
But if the ignitor glows and stays on, the flame sensor is the problem. If the ignitor glows and then quickly goes off, this should be an issue of inadequate air or gas flow.

Igniter

The igniter produces a spark that is enough to produce heat inside the burner assembly. If the igniter gets damaged, the Kenmore 80 series dryer won’t complete a gas circuit for heat to be produced.

Locate the igniter at the bottom of your dryer, it connects to 2 thin wires. To check the igniter for continuity:

Remove the wires that are connecting the igniter to the dryer.
Unscrew it from the base of the large, metallic cylinder.
Set the multimeter and place the wires to the red and black terminals of the igniter. If the multimeter doesn’t read then you need to replace the igniter.

Kenmore 80 Series Dryer Heating Element

The Kenmore 80 series dryer heating element consists of the thermostat, thermal fuse, and heating coil. An electric dryer uses an electric heating element, while a gas dryer uses a burner assembly. If the heating element burns out or if any of its parts is damaged, your dryer will face heating issues.

You can use a multimeter to test the heating element of your Kenmore 80 series dryer for continuity. If the multimeter fails to read, the heating element is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Dryer Heating Coil

The heating coil or solenoid converts electricity to heat, therefore a faulty heating coil or solenoid would prevent you Kenmore 80 series dryer from heating

To test for a faulty coil or solenoid, we would provide you the steps to follow below:

Unplug the power cord connecting to the wall outlet.
Get a screwdriver to remove the coil panel. The coil panel looks like a metal box.
You can find the heating element at the back of your dryer.
Remove the screws that are holding the heating element.
Then gently slide the panel out of your dryer.
You should see 3 lead red wires that are attached to the bottom left area of the panel.
Finally, connect the multimeter to the wires on the heating coils to check for connectivity. If the multimeter doesn’t read that means the leads are no longer functioning and require to be replaced.

Dryer Thermostat

The thermostat is a device that regulates or controls the flow of heat and temperature. When the thermostat is faulty it won’t be able to regulate or control the flow of heat and temperature within your dryer. You can test the reading of the thermostat with a multimeter. If the multimeter fails t read the thermostat should be replaced.

To replace a faulty thermostat follow these steps:

Remove the back panel using a Philips or flat head screwdriver as suitable.
Locate the thermostat, then remove the lead wire that connects to the thermostat.
Use the multimeter to find connectivity, if the multimeter doesn’t read you need to replace the thermostat.
Replace the thermostat and necessary parts.
Plug your dryer back and crosscheck its working condition.

Thermal Fuse

When the dryer overheats, the thermal fuse safety feature shuts off the flow of electric current. As a result, the thermal fuse trips off in reaction to the power surge. This would prevent fire outbreaks from starting in the process.

To test the thermal fuse:

To locate the thermal fuse unscrew the thermal fuse from the exhaust vent at the back of the dryer.
The thermal fuse is a flat, long piece of metal that can be found on the exhaust duct.
Test the thermal fuse for continuity using a multimeter device. If the multimeter fails to read, then you need to replace the thermal fuse of your Kenmore 80 series dryer.

In conclusion, you should regularly maintain your Kenmore 80 series dryer to avoid heating problems. Failure to clean lint out of the exhaust system can lead to overheating and blowing of a fuse so your Kenmore 80 series dryer won’t heat.